


Photogenic (AU)

by plantedpluto



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Actors, M/M, Paparazzi, photographers, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27993945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plantedpluto/pseuds/plantedpluto
Summary: Will is a famous actor and there is one person in the crowd of paparazzi that always comes around.He just can't stop staring.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Kudos: 8





	Photogenic (AU)

**Author's Note:**

> My last work was _very_ angsty, so I thought I should grant my readers with some fluff this time.

"Lou, when I get out of that limousine I'll be jostled right away."

"Well, you are famous," his agent - Lou Ellen Blackstone stated (Will always found her surname to be odd, but he guaranteed she didn't choose that for herself). _Way to point out the obvious_ , Will thought. For some reason Lou gave him the feeling that he was the Batman, to Lou being Alfred - though that didn't work out as they were the exact same age and she wasn't an old man in her late sixties. 

He walked to the fridge and took out a sparkling water. Will didn't drink alcohol. He knew paparazzi would go insane and make up crazy stories that might say, _'Actor William Andrew Solace, Former Alcoholic Relapses'_ and it would be on the headline of Los Angeles' morning paper the next day. Almost fifty percent of that headline would be true, and Will was surely not a relapsed alcoholic. 

The only alcohol he drank is champagne at movie premieres, nearly everyone did. He found it impolite to reject something offered at a event such as that. 

Will popped the can open and slumped down on the couch next to his agent. She was staring at her tablet that had paperwork on it, her hair pulled back with half of it down. "People don't realize this," he started to vent. "But being famous isn't as glamorous as it sounds. I'm actually pretty lonely."

"You have me sir," Lou Ellen responded, looking up to smile at him. She looked back down to her work, furiously typing on the document. 

"Yes, I'm thankful for that," Will said, no sarcasm intended. "I wish I didn't have to attend tonight." he complained. 

"You did have a part in the film though," Lou Ellen insisted. "Besides, you might meet someone." she winked, waiting for Will to crack a smile. 

"Sure," Will rolled his eyes. He was okay talking about most things to Lou Ellen, but his love life made things inept. They were somewhat like friends, but it would be easier to categorize them as close work colleagues. Besides, Lou Ellen had already met her match, which was Will's body guard, Cecil Markowitz. Of course she was subtly flashing her engagement ring by extending her fingers every time she finished a sentence. 

"What about that Tom Holland guy? He seems very... attractive." she suggested, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.. 

"I don't know, I'm not really sure I'd like someone with that much publicity." Will ran his fingers through his hair after taking a sip of water. Lou Ellen looked aghast and Will realized he said something more unkind then he'd intended. 

"Not saying that I don't, not saying that he does. It's just... complicated." he said earnestly. He didn't really like dating - as it never really went well. Will would set up a date and it seemed like every guy or girl was only there because they knew Will was wealthy and knew they could manipulate him. His last date tried to pick pocket him, and from that time on, he chose to take himself out of the metaphorical sea. He was no longer one of the thousands of fish in the sea. 

"I understand." Lou Ellen laughed which made Will a bit happier. "We should go, you're chauffeur's outside."

"Yeah, I'm right behind you," Will said, setting his empty can on the coffee table. 

* * *

As Will and Lou Ellen walked through the foyer of the hotel, a couple of people stared. Will had to admit that he liked his fans. Not because of the attention, but because he did something and could be someone they look up to. He didn't realize it before, but the hotel was actually much fancier than he thought. Sure, his penthouse room was nice, but the crown molding that lined every wall was beautiful, the modern but classy wallpaper, full length mirrors in the elevator - in which Lou Ellen used to fix her hair, and a chandelier in the lobby that was tentatively hung under a terrace, a man carefully dusting it off. 

"Hi Mr Solace!" a small girl called, running across the tiled floor, a box of markers and a notebook clutched tightly in her hands. His guard Cecil, and Lou Ellen blocked him but Will waved them away. He crouched to meet her short gaze. She looked about seven in age, and had obviously seen one of his G-Rated, child geared, films. Animation - most likely. He didn't know how she knew what he looked like because he voiced cartoon characters in animation, but he decided not to question it. "

"Hello." he muttered as the girl held her hands and other items behind her back, lifting her heels off the ground in one second intervals. Her face flushed red as she looked away for a minute. 

"C-could I have your autograph?" she murmured. Her voice was barely audible but Will heard her timid request. 

Will gave her a small smile before answering. "Of course."

"Sir, we'll be late." Cecil interrupted from behind him. 

"I am never late, everyone else is simply... early." he retorted, smiling down at the girl once again. Cecil shook his head and began to talk to Lou Ellen when Will turned around. He could catch snippets of what they were saying about wedding planning, and Will assumed that the documents she was working on in the room were actually plans for their wedding. 

The girl passed him a blue marker and colouring book. Will glanced down at the Mickey Mouse drawing that was printed in the book, and her attempt to redraw it in the sketching grid. The face was a slight bit lopsided, but Will wasn't good at drawing whatsoever. 

"Claire where were you? The rest of the family is going to be here soon!" a woman in a sun dress came running up. "I am so sor— you're William Solace..."

Will nodded shyly as she picked up Claire and he rose to his feet. "I am so sorry, I was in the lounge and didn't even notice she was gone!" the woman fumbled between her words. 

"She was not a bother at all." he stated. "I'm late, but I'll be here tonight." He looked at Claire again and her cheeks flushed red. "Hopefully we could speak again?"

Will winked before walking off with Cecil and Lou Ellen. 

Just as Will feared, there was loads of paparazzi. "Get those cameras out of my face." he ordered angrily, blocking his face from view to avoid being blinded by the flashes. 

Unfortunately, he had to face it full on when he walked the carpet. He hated the red carpet, with a burning passion. That was an overload of attention and opportunities for endless publicity if something went wrong. 

He did his best to look like he wanted to be there, even though it would be one of his least favourite moment on repeat. Some people started to stare at his clothing choice. He wore a fancy black bomber jacket with red roses on it (courtesy of Lester, his designer), a plain pastel yellow t-shirt and white washed ripped jeans. 

As an interviewer approached him, he remembered what Lou Ellen had told him once: _Making a good public statement shows your confidence. Just make sure to not sound like a snob. You want to be recognized as something to look up to, not something for people to frown upon._ Will didn't know what happened with her last client for her to need to give Will the advice, but it couldn't've been good. 

"Mr Solace, how is it tonight?" the reporter asked, pulling the mic away from her after talking and to face him. "

"Pretty well," he said with his head high. "How are you, Rachel?"

Rachel laughed. He knew her as a new interviewer from the local talk-show station. She mostly talked with new authors and artists, but on occasion she volunteered for the large events were she could scarab the most gossip. "I'm doing well, thank you for asking. Who are you wearing tonight?"

"My apparel is courtesy of Lester Papadopoulos, my personal designer." he responded as Rachel's smiled altered. Will couldn't tell if it was in a good, or bad way. Most people wore Calvin Klein or Mark Jacobs, those sorts of designers, but Lester couldn't resist telling Will that he took fashion in college, and that he would gladly be Will's designer. Based on Will's apparel choice, the other's had their work cut out for them. 

"Did you say, 'Lester Papadopoulos'?" she wondered. Will nodded, even though she completely botched the last name. "I had him on my show! I love the outfit Mr Solace."

Will laughed, trying to make it seem sincere. "So, tell us, how do you-" Rachel's voice faltered as Will's attention was to someone else. It was a guy with dark raven hair, brown eyes, that he was assume close to his own age. 

Strangely enough, he looked familiar. Of course all interviewers and camera men looked familiar, but this one was different. The flashing of cameras reflected in his chocolate brown eyes. His dark purple shirt and leather jacket were barely visible behind all the light pollution, and if he looked on the ground, the actor couldn't even tell which pair of shoes belonged to who. Will completely forgot he was staring, but so was the raven... 

"-and I think it was an Austin Lake that recommended you." Rachel finished as Will's attention was drawn back. "Right?"

Will stood awkwardly for a moment, waiting for her to reiterate what she said or be interrupted. He wasn't going to fumble for words to make him look like a moron. 

"Oh look, it's Tom Holland!" another interviewer said and Will was thankful to move along from the interviewers on the carpet. 

He looked back to glance back at the actor all teenage girls 'fangirled' over (whatever that was) and raised a brow in confusion. Nonetheless, he couldn't deny what Lou Ellen had said, Tom Holland was indeed _attractive._

* * *

As the movie played, Will respectfully excused himself. He didn't like being around so many people at a time, and others didn't really seem to have any respect regarding the universal phrase; 'silence during the film'. 

He inhaled a deep breath when he noticed that same raven sitting alone on the carpet. He was studying the photos on his camera, his foot tapping the stair after the one he was sitting on. Will couldn't resist, he had to talk to the unnamed paparazzo. 

"Hey," he started simply and the other boy promptly stood up. 

"Oh sorry, I'm in your way aren't I?"

"No actually, I just wanted to chat with someone." Will said, giving the photographer the same smile he gave the young girl at the hotel. This time, it was even more genuine. This guy didn't immediately lift up his camera and take a photo of him, which is what usually happens to people like Will. 

"Oh uh, sure, Mr Solace." he apologized as he sank back down onto the carpeted stairs. Will sat next to him, the boy's eyes fixated on the camera screen. "

"Call me Will," he encouraged and the photographer looked up. "

"I'm Nico, Nico di Angelo." he introduced. "

"They're even more dazzling up close..." Will murmured, his eyes examining all of Nico's perfect features. Just the way his pupils displayed his reflection like a mirror would, and how his clothing clashed with his pale skin. The way his raven hair waved in the slight breeze, gently disguising his chocolate eyes. The way his black coat and purple shirt sat well together, padlock chain dangling around his neck. Will didn't know what style Nico was going for there, but it was... something, alright. 

"Sorry?" Nico asked, his brow raised. 

Will tore his eyes away for a moment to look at the floor. "Oh sorry, I was just thinking about how dazzling the carpet looks from down here." he answered and mentally scolded himself. Who thinks an old, stomped on carpet is _dazzling_? 

"Oh, okay then..." Nico said, averting his gaze at the exact same time Will did. There was a sudden silence before the actor spoke again. 

"I see you at events like these all the time!" Will yelled. He clamped his hand over his mouth for a moment as his cheeks flushed furiously. There was now a second mental scold of the night: _Now you sound like a stalker. Get it together Solace, don't make yourself a fool._

"I'm hired to take photos of celebrities. I'm kind of around for nearly everything." Nico shrugged, nonchalantly. 

"I stared today, I'm sorry." Will apologized after moving his hand. He didn't know why he would apologize for that, but it was one attempt to change the subject. Nico's eyes lit up. 

"I thought I was staring at you! I thought you stared at me, because I stared at you!"

It took him a minute to register what Nico had said. Will's eyebrows rose skyward in realization. "I thought the same! I stared because you stared a me, but didn't realize I was actually the watcher!"

Both boys laughed as a few security members stared. Will didn't care, he could talk with anyone he wanted. Not because of his status, just because it was casual conversation. Will dismissed Cecil's duty as he left the theatre, but if his guard was there, he would instantly go into Bodyguard Mode™. 

As if they were in a rom-com, Nico abruptly pulled Will by the shirt into a kiss. Will didn't back away; was he yearning for this? Nico's raven hair clashed with Will's blond. Cool and pale hands held Will's jaw, pulling him closer, and they couldn't... well, didn't want to stop. 

Polar opposites definitely do attract. Isaac Newton was right. 

Nico was the first to draw back, the colour slowly draining from his cheeks. He started to apologize profusely, some words that Will didn't think was English. They both stood up, Will towering over Nico by less than a foot. 

"If it's not strange," Will interrupted, Nico's face flushing a dark tomato-red. He was wondering if this was to be a mistake, but Nico did not seem like any of the other people he'd talked to besides agents, designers, and interviewers. "Would you like to go out sometime?"

Nico was silent for a moment, composing an answer. "I think that would be nice, wouldn't it, Mr Solace?"

"You're supposed to call me Will." Will insisted as Nico pulled him down to kiss him again. His warm lips clashed with Nico's cool once more, and he was in a state of total euphoria. Chatting and music came from inside the theater, within seconds audible gasps erupted. 

The two boys took another few seconds before noticing flashing lights coming from around them. Breaking apart, they saw the swarm of Hollywood stars, reporters, and photographers. 

"Mr Solace, might you elaborate on this moments events?" an interviewer asked. Will looked away, there was no way in hell he would telling the press all about his love life, or even reiterate what they just saw. 

Will quickly searched his pocket for a pen as he was mobbed for more answers. He pulled out the first thing he felt which was Claire's blue marker. How he didn't realize he'd took a long time ago beat him, but Will uncapped it and wrote his number on Nico's arm. 

Lou Ellen, Cecil, and a couple more of his guards came by to block him from the paparazzi. Will made a 'call me' sign with his hand up to his ear through the gaps as him and his entourage walked towards the street and into the limousine. 

He wished he could have brought Nico along to get him out of there, but he hoped that Nico wouldn't be one of those people to disclose tonight's events. He put his trust in this guy, and he wished it would all work out. 

* * *

"You're in a good mood, Mr Solace." Lou Ellen addressed as she brought over some room service breakfast. 

Will was sitting in the living room of his suite, over looking the buildings and the City of L.A. "But there's some bad news..." Lou Ellen continued. 

"What?" Will asked quickly. Lou Ellen slapped down the newspaper from that morning onto the coffee table. Will leaned over to get a better look on the front page. 

The photo displayed Nico against Will, fervidly kissing him. A camera hung from Nico's neck and Will's jacket was sliding off his shoulders. He remembered it like it was mere seconds ago. The headline read: _William Andrew Solace: Falling for Paparazzi?_ He hated when they used his full name. Why does it matter that his middle name is "Andrew"? It's not pertinent to the story. 

He scanned the article quickly, some parts of which still made up ridiculous recollections. Though, what surprised him most was the fact that there we no quotes that ended with 'said photographer, Nico di Angelo'. How Nico had managed to keep his mouth shut was incomprehensible. 

"It's a scandal!" Lou Ellen complained, throwing her hands up and started to talk with them. "You were alone and they-they-" ""

"I wasn't alone Lou," Will explained."And I don't think I will be for a long time."

"And why do you think that, sir?" his agent questioned. She was facing the window, but the side profile of her face told Will she was angry. "They wrote, quote-on-quote- you and this particular man were together."

"I'll have a date with him, and considering there was no statement in the paper that he told them about me - or said anything for that matter, I'm still going to go."

"Surely you can't go out on a date with him! It could ruin your reputation!"

"I date who I want Lou Ellen," Will said sternly. "I want to go out with Nico, so the paparazzi can go shove their ambitions aside, shut their damn mouths, and leave me the hell alone." he huffed. "And perhaps tell them to _not_ use my middle name; it's embarrassing."

"I admire your confidence Mr Solace," Lou Ellen said with a grin. "And you have every right to resent them."

"Yeah, I do." Will said, watching his phone. He was waiting for the opportunity to answer it, with the boy he shared a very intimate moment with last night. "

An unknown number showed up on his ringing phone, and he picked it up with anticipation knowing he'd hear Nico di Angelo's voice on the other line.

**Author's Note:**

> Now, this one was from Will's perspective, and I think it would be interesting to write it from Nico's perspective, so is that something you'd be interested in?
> 
> (I don't really know if I like this very much, but hopefully you guys do)
> 
> Also, I will be participating in @solangeloweek's 12 Days of Christmas Event that was announced on their tumblr page, so that's coming. (Make sure to check that account out as they reblog a ton of other solangelo works!)
> 
> Thanks,  
> pandqrasbox


End file.
